Manti Te’o is most well known for being the “victim” of a online dating hoax which transpired during the season. He was among the best linebackers in the country and despite his less than stellar National Championship game showing he should be picked in the first 50 picks. Te’o was able to rebound on a bad combine in private workouts and rumors are several teams are very interested.

If Te’o is drafted by Miami he will join a linebacker corps that includes Dannell Elerbee who the Fins snagged quickly in free agency from the Ravens.

This is probably the best decision Manti has made in about two or three months. In all seriousness, it is probably best for all involved that the circus is contained to one area. Can you imagine how awkward it would be if Manti is still in the green room in the middle of the second round? Hey, it could happen.

There isn’t a big market for middle linebackers with 4.8 speed… or is there?

We’ll find out soon.

It doesn’t take a genius to tell you Manti isn’t the fastest linebacker in the country. Anyone who saw the Alabama game would agree with that statement. However teams were hoping that Te’o would run just a little bit faster.

With that said we still have him in the first round of our latest projections, fake girlfriend and all. Just no one tell John Harbaugh. He is not impressed.

H/T: BlackSportsOnline.com & BleacherReport

Today Manti took the time to address the media at the combine and was asked about joining the Ravens. Manti did not hesitate to say that he indeed would like to become a Baltimore Raven. Baltimore owns the 32nd pick in the first round and may have to trade up slightly to get Te’o if they want him.

There is interest on both sides, will it happen?

Manti Te’o says he would be honored to join the Ravens and fill the big shoes left behind by Ray Lewis.

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) February 23, 2013

Mel Kiper tweeted recently that he believes if Te’o has a good 40 time at next week’s NFL Combine, he could be reconsidered in the top-10. I believe the 40-yard dash is one

of the most overrated Combine drills. Unless you have been burned or get past the defense, when will a player ever run 40 yards straight? I get how it measures speed, but I’m more interested in football speed, which can be seen on tape.

Either way, Te’o is another interesting prospect in the Soap Opera that is the NFL Draft. Most scouts I’ve read are giving him a late first round grade. He has outstanding leadership (on the field), but still his game against Alabama worries me. I’d be surprised if he last past the Baltimore Ravens with the 32nd overall pick.

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“Is he a good linebacker? Yeah? Then why wouldn’t we?!”

That pretty much sums it up how guys feel about Manti “Catfish” Te’o. No one cares if Manti gets girls off Facebook, Twitter, Craigslist or Christian Mingle- as long as he handles business on the field.

Video below:

For those wondering, here is the confession video from Ronaiah Tuiasosopo where he confesses to being gay, in love with Manti Te’o, and the creator of the Lennay Kekua hoax:

While Te’o is still claiming he had nothing to do with the hoax the more he talks the more questions pop up.

• Why did he continue to lead the public on over three months later?

• Why did his parents claim they met Lennay in Hawaii only to later say that Manti got stood up?

• Who was Manti on the phone with for over 8 hours a day? What is this actress’ real name? Who is she in real life?

• Why would Ronniah Tuiasosopo wait until January 16th to send Manti an apology via direct message, just conveniently in time for the Jeremy Schapp interview, with Manti’s newly appointed lawyer present?

Here is how Mr. Te’o explained himself:

In the brief segment that was aired this morning, Te’o claimed he simply didn’t know which way to turn or which direction to go after finding out in early December that what he had known to be true was, in fact, not.

“Katie, put yourself in my situation. I, my whole world told me that she died on Sept. 12. Everybody knew that. This girl, who I committed myself to, died on Sept. 12,” Te’o told Couric in the interview that will be broadcast on her syndicated talk show.

“Now I get a phone call on Dec. 6, saying that she’s alive and then I’m going be put on national TV two days later. And to ask me about the same question. You know, what would you do?”

If there is anyone that is going to get the real deal best believe it will be Dateline NBC. With the potential ratings over exposing the truth I think Te’o better just come forward and tell us what he has to tell us before one of these investigative reporting programs do….

Let’s play a game though. Let’s just pretend that Manti was in on the hoax the entire time.  Notre Dame says Manti is the victim and I am not suggesting that he lied; I’m just playing a little game of make believe. Let’s just pretend that ALLEGEDLY, Manti was in on the whole thing.

• Let’s just pretend that the reason Manti could not remember the exact date his girl died was because he was lying.
• Let’s just pretend that Manti had no idea the South Bend Tribune reported that he locked eyes with a beautiful stranger at the 2009 Stanford game. 

• Let’s just pretend that Manti and his parents lied about meeting Lennay in Hawaii. 

• Let’s just pretend that Manti said that his girlfriend wrote him a letter 31 days after she supposedly died. 

• Let’s just pretend that Notre Dame employees are being silenced.

In our world of make believe, how would Manti Te’o lying about his fake girlfriend effect his draft status?

The closest thing to this situation would have to be Cam Newton coming out of college and the ALLEGED $100,000 reasons he chose to attend the University of Auburn.  Cam never strayed away from his eccentric personality and let the story play itself out.  He still went #1 overall in the draft.

For those wondering, yes I personally believe that something is fishy with this entire story but it won’t effect Manti’s draft status.  The NFL has let cocaine dealers, ALLEGED murderers, deadbeat Dad’s and worse in their league.  A guy who may have ALLEGEDLY made up an internet girlfriend to get some Heisman votes is nothing compared to some of those more despicable actions.  If anything teams should ask Mr. Te’o about those six tackles he missed in the championship game more than anything else.

The college season is going to be officially over when Notre Dame meets Alabama in the BCS “Championship” game in Miami, Florida later tonight. I know everyone is hyped up because this is the first time Notre Dame has been in championship contention in almost two decades, and Alabama is going for their third title in four years (dynasty?).

But over here at MDHQ we are all about that NFL Draft so let’s talk about some of the prospects you’ll see in tonight’s game plus a prediction:

Notre Dame

Everyone knows about the defense, so let’s start there. Of course the #1 prospect is Manti Te’o the middle linebacker. He almost won the Heisman this year, with good reason. He notched almost 100 tackles and 7 interceptions on the year. While I personally think Luke Kuechly was a better prospect just a year ago, Te’o should be picked in the top 10 as well and will be a tackling machine in the middle of a pro defense for the next 15 years.

Notre Dame also has the big nose tackle which people don’t really talk about. At 6’3 and 320+ pounds, Louis Nix was the anchor all year and helped keep defenders off Te’o. Te’o himself has said candidly in interviews that this defense’s weakness is when he’s blocked out of plays. Expect to see Nix picked around the fourth round.

On offense of course we have to talk about Theo Riddick the WR/RB. His season was above average and he climinated with 880 yards rushing and 364 receiving. He’s an interesting prospect for the later rounds as a hybrid WR/RB.

I don’t have to tell you about the last guy we’ll profile here, Tyler Eifert. He is the oil that makes the whole machine run. Without Eifert’s ability to stretch the defense and provide reliable hands for freshman QB Everett Golson, the Irish wouldn’t even be in this game. He’s also a good in-line blocker which isn’t said about many tight ends coming straight out of college. Eifert can go as high as the top 15 in this draft. Remember who said it first. He’s that good, and this is a copycat league. Every team is looking for their Gronkowski/Hernandez /Graham, and come draft day Eifert’s value is going to be realized much sooner than many of us have him in our mock drafts.

Alabama

When you talk about Bama there is one unit that simply leads this team: the entire offensive line. It is odd that your team would be lead by a group of superstar linemen but that is exactly the case at Alabama. Chance Warmack, DJ Fluker, and Barrett Jones are all going to be no worse than second round picks in the 2013 draft.

In the backfield there is QB AJ McCarron who is steadily growing as a passer. He is likely going to be picked in the top 40 picks if he decides to enter the 2014 NFL Draft. However the guy you will see in 2013 is running back Eddie Lacy. He’s no Trent Richardson or Mark Ingram but he had a good year behind that all-world line (1182 yards, 16 touchdowns) and shows a great burst on his runs. He should be a second to third round pick in the NFL, and could wind up being a way better pro.

Defensively, you have a bunch of terrific talent starting in the front seven with outside linebacker CJ Mosley who claims he is coming back to college for another season (Don’t do it! Reconsider! Read some litera-ture on the subject!). The draft eligible DBs on this unit Robert Lester and Dee Milliner are also among the nation’s best at their positions with Milliner a potential top 10 overall selection. I could talk about how good Alabama’s defense is all day, but the fact of the matter is they have NFL talent for the next three years at pretty much every position.

So who is going to win this thing?

I put it to you like this. In life there are situations where you see things coming, but don’t want to believe it. It’s like when your friend starts talking to that clingy chick and you know she is going to pull him down the aisle… and as much as you don’t want to see it, suddenly one day you wake up and realize you’re in a fitting room trying on a tuxedo.

We all know there couldn’t be a more perfect story for sports media if Notre Dame was to ride this thing all the way out, but Alabama isn’t trying to have that. The Tide and that all-universe offensive line are just going to drag the Irish and their fans to all over the field. It’s probably not going to be really pretty either. As much as it would be a Cinderella story for Manti Te’o and crew to hold that crystal football; fact-of-the-matter is that Bama is just too big and too fast.

I’m sorry but Notre Dame it might be time or you to turn your player cards in and write those vows… the Tide are getting a ring tonight.

Bama by 14.

During the game, Manti Teo was active as usual and even though USC made it a point to block him out of as many plays as possible his impact was still felt. Teo had a big interception in the contest that may go down as his Heisman moment.

Will he win the award?

It’s very possible he may. His stat line for the regular season includes 98 tackles, 6 ints, 1.5 sacks.

In 1997 Charles Woodson amassed 8 interceptions and scored a touchdown on a rush, reception, and punt return.

So in a one-to-one comparison, no Teo should not win it. He had a great season but he did not score any points. It will come down to will voters vote for the freshman Johnny Manziel or Collin Klein over Teo? Will they vote for Braxton Miller, who is the quarterback of the only other undefeated team in the country?

All in all, I expect Teo or Manziel to win the award. Teo gets the nod because of the Notre Dame hype. Should he win? History says no, you just have to look back at the season Ndamukong Suh was snubbed to see that better defensive stat lines were passed upon. However, like I said there is a lot of Notre Dame hype that is sure to sway the voters.

We will see how it plays out but it looks like Teo is going to ride this wave all the way to the Downtown Athletic Club.