WVU center Tyler Orlosky a better NFL Draft prospect than Texas' D'Onta Foreman

Texas running back D'Onta Foreman entered Saturday's showdown with No. 16 West Virginia as the nation's leading rusher and therefore an obvious focus for any NFL scouts watching an entertaining but turnover-filled 24-20 Mountaineers win.

The 6-foot-1, 249-pound junior rumbled for 167 yards against West Virginia - including 114 in the first half - to join the great Earl Campbell as the only running back in the Longhorns storied history to eclipse the 100-yard rushing mark in 11 consecutive games. Foreman now has rushed for at least 124 yards in all nine games this season and unofficially now has 1,613 yards on the year.

Foreman accomplished the feat like he has in every other game this year, with brute power, deceptive speed and sheer volume. He had 20 carries by halftime and finished with a career-high 35 overall against West Virginia, giving him at least 30 carries in four of his past five games. Foreman even caught a career-high three passes for 32 yards Saturday.

It is hard to argue with the "feed the beast" mentality by Charlie Strong and the Texas coaching staff considering how effective Foreman has been this season. The downhill-running Foreman converted twice on fourth-and-short in a single second-quarter possession, showing forward lean and leg drive to simply bulldoze through would-be tacklers. Later, he showed complementary body control to vault a would-be tackler in close quarters in the fourth quarter. Further, though he lacks elite breakaway speed (and was, in fact, caught from behind in this contest), Foreman can gain yardage in chunks, showing deceptive acceleration, decisive cuts and good vision to throw off pursuit angles.

And yet for all of Foreman's production and publicity, fans might be surprised to learn that West Virginia center Tyler Orlosky is actually the higher-rated NFL prospect on NFLDraftScout.com's board.

What the 6-foot-3, 295-pound Orlosky may lack for publicity, he makes up with talent, technique and good old-fashioned toughness, helping to create a clean pocket for most of the game for Mountaineers quarterback Skyler Howard and providing clear rushing lanes.

Orlosky made the key block, for example, on West Virginia's first of two rushing touchdowns on the day, sliding immediately to his right after snapping the ball to pin a Texas defensive tackle inside and springing running back Kennedy McKoy for an eight-yard score.

Orlosky is not a physically intimidating presence among his peers like Foreman, but he holds his own inside, firing his hands into the chest of opponents after the snap and showing good strength and competitiveness to steer. Orlosky has the short, compact frame well-suited to playing inside, and he complements his build with good technique, keeping his knees bent and butt down, which allow him to anchor effectively despite often giving up 20-30 pounds to opponents.

The awareness that comes with starting the past 35 consecutive games showed up against Texas, as Orlosky made the line calls to adjust to blitzes from the Longhorns, including from flashy sophomore linebacker Malik Jefferson, a future NFL prospect himself. Orlosky, a two-time team captain, showed good vision and timing to move past his initial block and slide over to help teammates, including when releasing to the second level.

Orlosky's combination of talent and intangibles has him ranked third among a solid class of senior centers on NFLDraftScout.com's board and a possible Day 2 pick. Foreman, meanwhile, currently checks in ninth among junior running backs, well behind top talents like LSU's Leonard Fournette, Florida State's Dalvin Cook and Stanford's Christian McCaffrey in what could be a historic group of runners.