Fresno State's top dog

Redshirt junior running back Dwayne Wright, who leads Fresno State in rushing with 1,061 yards and nine touchdowns, announced that he plans to forfeit the medical year from a knee injury suffered two seasons ago and enter the 2007 NFL draft

Wright transferred to the Western Athletic Conference program from West Hills (Calif.) Junior College. After taking nearly two years to return to the field following surgery and rehabilitation to repair the patellar tendon in his left knee, he caught the attention of area scouts by averaging close to 5.0 yards per carry for the 3-7 Bulldogs.

Wright has also proved to be a very effective weapon as a receiver out of the backfield, catching 26 passes for 217 yards and one touchdown this season. He has an explosive extra gear in the open field, which is impressive considering he has the size (6-foot and 222 pounds) to consistently gain yardage between the tackles. Most evaluators also feel he will run in the 4.5-second range in the 40-yard dash.

In Saturday's win over Idaho, Wright fought off four to five tacklers as part of a 51-yard run, but the fact he is two years removed from surgery has led most to believe his best football is still in front of him. Wright has gained 64 percent of Fresno State's 1,670 rushing yards despite running behind an offensive line that has changed due to injuries.

After the team's final home game last Saturday, Wright informed the media of his decision to not return to the Bulldogs and head to the NFL. Most area scouts believe he can put himself in position to be selected within the first three rounds by having a strong postseason.

Wright is a high-character family man off the field with wife Jewelyn, daughter Jewelyn and son Demarion. Wright, who will turn 24 in June, has already been extended an invitation to the Hula Bowl, but he is expected to be given a chance to play in the East-West Shrine Game.

MORE PROSPECT NOTES

• South Carolina senior Syvelle Newton, who began the season at wide receiver before being switched back to quarterback, may have found a new home at the next level – safety.

When head coach Steve Spurrier decided to put Blake Mitchell back behind center a few weeks ago, he asked Newton where he wanted to play and surprisingly he decided to start practicing with the team's defensive backs. Newton earned a start two weeks ago against Florida, finishing second on the team with eight tackles, including seven solos and one pass breakup. In two games, he has flashed good natural instincts and broken up a pair of passes to go with 10 tackles. He has a long frame, very good agility and uses his past experiences at both quarterback and wide receiver to break down opposing offenses.

Newton is a bright, versatile prospect who has also been tried at running back and return man during his time with the Gamecocks. His latest and final move raised a few eyebrows at first, but scouts are now pondering the concept of his long-term future, since at nearly 6-2 and 210 pounds he can run in the early-to-mid 4.4-second range with a 38- to 40-inch vertical jump.

• Oklahoma outside linebacker Rufus Alexander recorded six tackles and two tackles for loss while helping the Sooners limit Baylor to minus-48 yards rushing on 20 attempts. Once again, the senior leads OU with 88 tackles and 10½ tackles for loss and three forced fumbles to go with two sacks, a fumble recovery and one interception. But he has been overly criticized for not showing the same big-play ability that nearly allowed him to declare as a junior. Case in point: the Sooners' two losses to Oregon and Texas in which Alexander had just 12 tackles and no big plays.

Alexander runs well for his size (4.65 in the 40 at 235 pounds), but he lacks ideal size and does not play with great strength at the point of attack. He is best when he can attack without being forced to take on blockers. His weaknesses are likely to be off-set by having only a certain number of teams grading him as a high first-day choice; some teams have now mentioned him as being a fourth- to fifth-round prospect. The outcome of how well he practices during the week of the Senior Bowl will have the biggest impact on his final grade.

• Nebraska cornerback Zackary Bowman, who was lost for the season after suffering a torn ACL in his left knee in August, has been rehabilitating at a faster than anticipated pace, but according to one team official, the senior will not be back to 100 percent in January for any of the postseason all-star games.

Bowman has yet to publicly announce whether he will return for a medical redshirt season or declare for the draft based on the fine numbers he posted during his junior campaign. He established himself as one of the nation's premier cover corners to go along with excellent size and mid-to-late 4.4-second range speed.

If team doctors give him the green light to participate in full workouts at the NFL combine in February, Bowman is expected to forego the redshirt and enter the draft with the hopes of earning a top-50 grade. The medical portion of the combine would still be the biggest test for him to pass in the postseason.

• Florida State outside linebacker Lawrence Timmons, whom some Seminoles insiders believe has equal or better upside than former teammate and top-10 draft choice Ernie Sims, announced that he plans to return to play his senior year in Tallahassee.

Timmons has a rare blend of size, speed, athleticism and play strength. He is a sideline-to-sideline defender that can create havoc as a pass rusher, too. The belief that the Seminoles will be able to rebound, especially on the defensive side of the ball next year, were noted by Timmons as the primary reasons for his return.

However, outsiders say he has kept close tabs on what the market is saying about him, and those influences could creep back into Timmons' thought process over the next six weeks. He believes he can become a high first-round pick by playing his senior campaign, as opposed to a late first- to second-round selection if he comes out early.

• Notre Dame senior safety Chinedum Ndukwe recorded a season-high 22 tackles in the Irish's win over Army last Saturday. The total tied him for the Division I-A best this year, but it had little impact on his overall draft grade. Ndukwe will work best for teams that like to roll up one of their safeties to help stop the run. He has 4.55 range speed in the 40-yard dash, but he has been caught out of position on a few big pass plays. He has proved to be much more effective making plays in front of him as opposed to covering over the top.

Ndukwe is a little stiff in his back pedal and dropped a few potential interceptions during his career. He is a converted receiver with very good size (6-2, 215 pounds), but while he has very good straight line speed, he lacks ideal flexibility. His big game experience and potential to contribute on special teams should get him drafted late. If scheme-wise, you can cover up his weaknesses, he could match the early progress of Dawan Landry in Baltimore.

POSTSEASON ALL-STAR GAME UPDATES

East Coast Bowl – Earlham (Ind.) record-setting quarterback Justin Rummell, Mansfield (Pa.) offensive lineman Jamar Foulks, tight end Jonathan Allen and wide receiver/return man Derrick Baker of Norfolk State and Montana-Western record-setting wide receiver Jake Larson have all accepted invitations to play in the season's first all-star game.

The game will also feature two of the eight finalists for this year's Harlon Hill Award, the Division II version of the Heisman Trophy: Albany (Ga.) State defensive end Alton Pettway (21½ tackles for loss, 14½ sacks) and Bryant (R.I.) running back Lorenzo Perry (1,792 yards, 19 touchdowns).

Rummell, a Division III prospect, has had at least 21 NFL teams come by to watch games and evaluate game film.

Senior Bowl – The following have officially accepted invites to the Jan. 27 game: Houston quarterback Kevin Kolb, Baylor punter Daniel Sepulveda, Maryland cornerback/return man Josh Wilson, Iowa offensive tackle Marshal Yanda, Arkansas offensive tackle Tony Ugoh, LSU wide receivers Dwayne Bowe and Craig Davis, Rutgers tight end Clark Harris and fullback Brian Leonard, Louisville defensive tackle Amobi Okoye, North Carolina State defensive tackle DeMarcus "Tank" Tyler, Ohio State defensive lineman David Patterson and Oklahoma State defensive tackle Ryan McBean.

Texas vs. the Nation All-Star Challenge – The first annual game will host a press conference in El Paso, Texas, early next week to announce a variety of items, including initial players for both rosters. UTEP head coach Mike Price will coach the Texas team, and former NFL head coach and defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan, along with a staff of former NFL coaches/players, will man the sideline for the Nation squad.