As the NFL Draft approaches we start to hear more about some of the many college players who plan to enter the 2014 NFL Draft. While we always hear about their talents and where they might go in the draft, we rarely get a glimpse into their background and how they got to where they are now. Now I’d like to introduce you to a new weekly feature where I introduce you to an NFL Draft prospect and share five things you need to know about them. We start off with one of my favorite prospects in the draft, Buffalo outside linebacker Khalil Mack.
Full Name: Khalil Mack
Date of Birth: February 22, 1991
Hometown: Fort Pierce, Florida
High School: Fort Pierce Westwood High School
Class: Senior (RS)
Major: Psychology
Twitter: @46Mack
Background:
Mack grew up in Fort Pierce, Florida with the dreams of playing football for one of the major programs.
He was a star linebacker and team captain for the Westwood Panthers. He helped lead the team to a 10-2 record during the 2009 season, and finished the year with 140 tackles, nine sacks, four tackles for a loss and three forced fumbles.
Mack was named third-team All-State in Florida and first-team All-Area. But despite the numbers, Mack played in a state overflowing with top high school football prospects and he was ignored.
Mack’s scholarship offer from Buffalo was the only offer that would come his way as a 2-star recruit by Scout.com and wasn’t even ranked at his position.
When Mack leaves University at Buffalo for the NFL Draft, he will graduate and leave the campus with a degree in psychology.
Statistics:
2010 (Redshirt-Freshman): 12 games, 68 tackles, 40 solo tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and 4.5 sacks
2011 (Sophomore): 12 games, 65 tackles, 38 solo tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks and five forced fumbles
2012 (Junior): 11 games, 94 tackles, 52 solo tackles, 21 tackles for loss, eight sacks and four forced fumbles
2013 (Senior): 10 games, 74 tackles, 39 solo tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, three interceptions and two touchdowns
There is no question Mack is the greatest defensive player in the history of the Buffalo Bulls. He holds the school record for tackles for loss (69.5), forced fumbles (13) and sacks (25.5).
He is also now just six tackles for loss shy of breaking former Western Michigan defensive end Jason Babin’s career mark (75) for most in FBS history and just two forced fumbles away from setting the NCAA record for most forced fumbles in a career.
It’s not a matter of if he breaks the records but when and once he accomplishes both feats, he will have made his case for one of the best linebackers ever in college football.
Mack has plenty of awards and accommodations to match the statistics. He has been a first-team All-Mac selection in 2011 and 2012 and two-time MAC East Defensive Player of the Year. He has also been named as an honorable mention in Sports Illustrated’s All-American team and named to the 2013 watch list for the Nagurski Trophy, Bednarik Award, Lombardi Award and Butkus award before the season.
Stats provided by CFBStats
Extra Facts
Mack may play for a small-school but he landed in the perfect situation to learn from a coach who has experience with great linebackers. Buffalo defensive coordinator Lou Tepper has seen his share of great linebackers. He coached NFL stars Simeon Rice and John Holecek, as well as Butkus Award winners Dana Howard and Kevin Hardy and wrote the book “Complete Linebacking”.
Mack has missed just one game in four years as the starting outside linebacker for the Bulls. In 2012 he missed the opener against Georgia for a violation of team rules. It is a small concern that NFL teams will want to ask him about in combine interviews, as the suspension stemmed from a fight with teammate Fred Lee. Mack has grown from the incident acknowledging his mistakes and coaches say he has learned from it.
Some draftniks have knocked Mack for playing against inferior competition but just turn on the tape to his dominant performance against Ohio State.
While the Bills lost 50-20, Mack finished the game with 2.5 sacks and returned an interception 45 yards for a touchdown. After the game Ohio State coach Urban Meyer had plenty of praise for the senior linebacker.
“His stock in the draft just went up a little bit after playing against us” Meyer told The Courant after the win “He manhandled some guys”.
While Mack may be a hard-hitting linebacker on the field he certainly may surprise you off the field. Mack’s first love is football but his second love is his guitar and making music. “I got questioned about how I started and why,” Mack told The Spectrum http://www.ubspectrum.com/mobile/sports/ub-athletes-strike-a-chord-off-the-field-1.2727897). “They say “you’re a football player, a big guy. Why are you singing and playing the guitar?” I grew up around music and wanted to be different. So I picked the guitar”
Draft Outlook
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 248 lbs.
40 Time: 4.65 Seconds
Every year there is a small-school talent who emerges from the entire class as a top-10 talent. This year that man is clearly Mack and now the top-10 chatter is starting to grow. While he may not offer the upside of UCLA’s Anthony Barr and isn’t as fearsome as a pass rusher, he is the better overall linebacker.
Mack is still excellent at bringing pressure off the edge and creating havoc in the backfield. Just look at all of the records he is setting, his mailing address is practically in the opponent’s backfield. But he does more than that, he can also drop back into coverage and play do a fine job. He is a great athlete but he shows excellent awareness and isn’t afraid to press his man and jam him.
Mack offers the versatility to come down and put his hand in the dirt as a pass rusher or he can even flip to inside linebacker and handle the position change without skipping a beat. He is a great athlete and a versatile player, someone who can play in any defensive scheme. He will hear his name called in the top-10 and immediately emerge as a defensive rookie of the year candidate once he steps on to an NFL field.