Texas pass rushers could impress scouts in Red River Rivalry

Each week during the season, Chad Reuter and Rob Rang will analyze the biggest game of the week featuring NFL prospects as part of the weekly Draft Slant product from NFLDraftScout.com .

No. 3 Texas vs. No. 20 Oklahoma, Noon ET Saturday

Some of the national title luster is taken out of this matchup with Oklahoma losing non-conference games to Miami and BYU, but the winner of the Red River Rivalry is still the favorite to win the Big 12. And NFL scouts will need a full pad of paper to take notes on all of the prospects on hand.

Junior quarterback Sam Bradford returned from injury last week in the Sooners' 33-7 tune-up win over Baylor, but his shoulder will really be put to the test if left tackle Trent Williams can't protect him from outside linebacker Sergio Kindle. Kindle could be a dominant pass rusher if he starts playing consistently strong and fast.

With left guard Brian Simmons out with a knee injury, look for strong, quick Longhorns defensive tackle Lamarr Houston to be a force. Kindle and Houston could increase their draft stock considerably with big games.

Oklahoma tight end Jermaine Gresham and wide receiver Ryan Broyles are injured, but that has created opportunities for redshirt junior receiver Brandon Caleb (seven catches for 136 yards and a touchdown last Saturday) and sophomore DeJuan Miller. Both have inconsistent hands, as does Adron Tennell, but they -- along with tight end Brody Eldridge -- must be reliable targets.

Bradford will not sleep on UT's young secondary: Sophomore free safety Earl Thomas has four interceptions, and cornerbacks Curtis Brown and Aaron Williams are aggressive and have fair size.

Texas' golden boy, quarterback Colt McCoy, has had problems with consistency this season. However, a big game vs. Oklahoma could put him back on track for the Heisman -- and help him gain fans among NFL scouts still trying to sort through the deep group of quarterbacks available next spring.

Roommate Jordan Shipley will be McCoy's primary target, but Oklahoma cornerbacks junior Dominique Franks and Brian Jackson will be all over the sixth-year receiver.

McCoy's pass protection must be good enough to buy him time. Left tackle Adam Ulatoski must win the individual battle with high-motor defensive ends Auston English and Jeremy Beal. Center Chris Hall and left guard Charlie Tanner have the unenviable task of facing the quick first step and power of top junior defensive tackle Gerald McCoy and sleeper Adrian Taylor.

The quarterbacks get the headlines in this game because neither team is a run-first operation, but if OU's dynamic duo of junior DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown get untracked, it could tip the balance. Murray's ability as a receiver could have a significant impact. Fullback Matt Clapp will search out slight yet strong Texas middle linebacker Roddrick Muckelroy to open rushing lanes.

Redshirt sophomore Travis Lewis is a future first-round pick who looks to stop whatever run game the 'Horns muster, even if it's spying the agile McCoy. Inside linebacker Ryan Reynolds and outside linebacker Keenan Clayton are undersized but solid defenders.

Special teams are always a factor in the final outcome of big games. Shipley can change field position as a returner -- or even score, as he did vs. Colorado last week -- but Franks averages 18.4 a return. Texas kicker Hunter Lawrence is 9 for 10 inside 43 yards in '09.

Prospect of the Week

Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State

Two elements of Okung's play were immediately evident in the matchup against 6-3, 240-pound Von Miller of Texas A&M, the Big 12's leading pass rusher (8.0 sacks in four games). One, Okung did not have the foot speed to match a fast-twitch rush linebacker like Miller to the edge. Second, the depth of Okung's kick-slide, long arms and physical blocking made up for it on most snaps.

Miller, who finished with five tackles, did win his share of battles over Okung, including taking over a first-quarter series deep in OSU territory. Miller's explosive jab step and scrape inside registered a tackle for loss on a first-down draw play. Two plays later, Miller blew by Okung and forced quarterback Zac Robinson to escape at the risk of his life.

As the game wore on, however, Okung became more comfortable, consistently catching and controlling his much smaller opponent. While not exactly agile in space, Okung was effective blocking at the second level, showing the IQ and vision to locate his target, as well as the closing speed and explosiveness to eliminate him.

Okung wasn't dominant in this game, which is typically a requirement to earn Prospect of the Week honors. However, despite a lack of Walter Jones-like athleticism, his size, strength and tenacity helped to control a pass rusher capable of taking over this contest -- especially considering the crowd noise.

Sure, scouts want athletic freaks capable of dominating every pass rusher, but those are exceedingly rare. Okung proved himself a pro capable of handling a true challenge. In doing so, he likely secured his place in the top half of the first round. -- Rob Rang

Chad Reuter is a Senior Analyst for NFLDraftScout.com, distributed by The Sports Xchange. Rob Rang contributed to this story.