Prospect watch: Monk's return

Arkansas senior wide receiver Marcus Monk, who entered the season as a top-10 ranked receiver according to most NFL evaluators, has been slow in recovering from a right knee injury that he suffered during an early August practice. Monk had surgery to repair a slight tear, but there was no sign of ligament damage when team doctors did the procedure. He was originally thought to be out four to six weeks, but he needed to have a second surgery in late August, which set him back several more weeks. Monk has yet to suit up for the Razorbacks this season. At 6-foot-6, 217 pounds, he has ideal size and very good speed. That combination resulted in a number of big plays last season when he averaged more than 19 yards per catch and caught 11 touchdown passes. Monk might dress this weekend against UT-Chattanooga with the goal that he will be close to 100 percent for the Oct. 13 showdown at home against Auburn.

REBOUND GAME

Florida State senior wide receiver De'Cody Fagg burst back onto the radar thanks to his performance against Alabama. His effort and character were called into question several weeks ago after he admitted in an interview that he took downs off during the Seminoles' loss to Clemson in the season opener. However, after not producing a touchdown catch the next two weeks, the 6-3, 215-pound senior blazed past several Crimson Tide defenders for a 70-yard touchdown. He ended the game with four catches for 95 yards and a pair of scores.

ANOTHER REBOUND GAME

Michigan junior wide receiver Mario Manningham has been sidelined this week by the coaching staff after violating an unspecified team rule. The team or staff will not comment on the type of violation that occurred or if this will just be a one week suspension. Manningham is among the top-rated underclassmen at his position, but at times has come across the wrong way with his attitude, which could lead to future issues when pro scouts evaluate him.

EYE ON KASPAREK

Akron senior tight end Kris Kasparek is a name to keep in mind the rest of this season as area scouts are excited to have the chance to see how he performs the rest of the way. He was not a major part of the mix early, but returned to action on Sept. 15 against Indiana with a 21-yard touchdown catch. His size (6-6, 267 pounds) has helped him become a strong in-line blocker during his four-year career and his stats prove that he is capable with the ball in his hands; 52 career receptions.

IMPRESSIVE SPEED

Virginia Tech senior wide receiver Justin Harper hasn't lived up to his potential, but his size, speed and ability to run past defenders on vertical routes has kept scouts watching in the hopes that his game will come together. Harper is just under 6-4, 200 pounds and has been timed between 4.38 and 4.42 in the 40-yard dash. His impressive straight line speed has allowed him to average more than 16 yards per catch during his career.

FUTURE FILE

Florida Atlantic freshman cornerback Tavious Polo is leading the nation with seven interceptions through the first five games of his career, including one last week in the Owls' loss to Kentucky. The pickoff broke Kentucky QB Andre’ Woodson's all-time NCAA streak of consecutive pass attempts without an interception. Polo is just 5-10, 155 pounds, but has shown keen awareness and ball instincts at an early age; intercepting three passes against Minnesota on Sept. 15, leading to the Owls' upset victory.

MEDICAL REPORT

• Auburn senior defensive end Quentin Groves could miss several weeks after dislocating toes on his right foot in the Tigers' upset win over Florida last weekend. One of the concerns that NFL scouts have is whether he can keep up his weight throughout a full season. Although he might be off his feet for a lengthy period of time, it will be important for Groves to continue doing as much work in the weight room as possible.

• Florida senior wide receiver Andre Caldwell is itching to get back into action after witnessing his team's loss to Auburn from the sideline last weekend. He has been cleared for full-go practice and intends on being back in the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the No. 1 ranked LSU Tigers. Caldwell has missed the past two games with a sprained right knee, but his big play ability would help the Gators passing attack that faces one of the most athletic defensive units in the nation. The news is not so good for senior offensive tackle Phil Trautwein, who is expected to ask the NCAA for a medical red-shirt after missing the first five games due to a stress fracture in his right foot.

• UCLA senior running back Chris Markey might not be at full-strength for the Bruins' game against Notre Dame. He is currently rehabbing a turf toe injury that might limit his carries on Saturday. There are some long-term questions on whether he can get back to 100 percent before the end of this season. Thus far, Markey is second on the Bruins in rushing and sits eighth among Pac-10 rushers with 404 yards and three touchdowns, while averaging 5.1 yards per carry. He has made the most of his chances in spite of sharing carries with junior running back Kahlil Bell.

• Stanford senior quarterback T.C. Ostrander suffered a seizure Sunday. It was not game related, but it came as a shock to everyone involved with the team's football program as well as his family. The coaching staff has already announced that Ostrander will miss this weekend's contest against USC. The 6-4, 220-pound senior will have a number of tests, but is expected to return to the field soon. The initial diagnosis is that the pain medication he was given after games might have led to the seizure.

SMALL SCHOOL PATROL

• Coastal Carolina senior wide receiver Jerome Simpson is making a similar move up the charts this season as Marques Colston and Jacoby Jones did the past two seasons. Simpson has good size, shows an explosive burst after the catch in the open field and is proving to be a playmaker at his current level of competition. He is averaging 18.9 yards per catch, including a season-long 50-yard catch against Winston Salem State. At just under 6-2, 190 pounds, he also builds up to full speed quickly and has shown the ability to break tackles on shorter routes. Simpson has the skills to rise as high as the third round come the postseason.

• Windsor (Canada) senior running back Daryl Stephenson, who last year won the Hec Crighton Trophy – Canadian version of the Heisman – is on pace to gain over 1,000 yards rushing for the fourth straight season. He is a well-built, tough, between-the-tackles runner who also possesses 4.5 to 4.55 range speed. His size (6-2, 232 pounds), running style and production have drawn comparisons to Jesse Lumsden, the former McMaster standout who spent time in the NFL with Seattle before heading to the CFL with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Stephenson is drawing heavy consideration from the Canadian Shriners, who help select prospects who attend each year's East-West Shrine Game.

• Portland State senior quarterback Brian White has taken control of the wide-open offensive scheme installed by legendary offensive coordinator Mouse Davis. West Coast scouts have taken notice of White, who is in his final year of eligibility. The Colorado transfer had attempted just 42 passes entering this season, but the past few weeks he has thrown for 329 yards, 363 yards and 408 yards, while completing nearly 65 percent of his passes. At 6-4, 228 pounds he is more of a pocket passer, but needs to get rid of the ball when facing the rush as he has been sacked 25 times; granted he is averaging 40 pass attempts per game. He has shown toughness, improved accuracy and is finally getting the chance to play, which could lead to a free agent shot in someone's camp.