Gonzalez has great speed and quickness, which allows him to cover the field effectively and make plays on the ball. He is a very instinctual player who has a great feel for the game, which allows him to read the quarterback and make plays on the ball. He is also a good tackler, showing a willingness to get involved in run defense.

Overall, Christian Gonzalez is an exciting prospect with the ability to excel at the next level. He compares favorably to former Oregon and current Detroit Lions cornerback, Deommodore Lenoir, as both players possess similar size and play style. While Gonzalez has room to improve his technique and footwork, he has a high ceiling and should be a solid addition to any NFL team’s secondary.

Announcement below:

There was one more present under the tree. #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/ALeRv0zc1G

— Oregon Football (@oregonfootball) December 26, 2018

This is until now.

Oregon’s Ifo Ekpre Olomu has begun the collection process of the policy he bought during his final collegiate season in which he blew his ACL during a practice. Ifo fell from a possible first round pick all the way to the seventh round.

According to RealGM he will at least have some of the rookie salary he lost out on recouped by the insurance policy:

Ifo Ekpre-Olomu is expected to be the first player to collect on a loss of draft value insurance, according to the man who underwrote the policy.

Keith Lerner told CBS Sports Thursday night that Ekpre-Olomu is in the process of collecting a $3 million claim after suffering a season-ending knee injury in December. The All-American corner, projected to be a first-round draft choice last May, slipped to the seventh round after blowing out his ACL before the College Football Playoff National Championship.

“That claim is close to getting paid,” said Lerner, the Gainesville, Florida-based head of Total Planning Sports Services.

If I am a high profile player I am calling Ifo for the name of his insurance provider ASAP.

A big rumor that has come out is one regarding the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles are coached by Chip Kelly who just happens to be the same man who recruited Mariota to Oregon and started him as a freshman quarterback.

Will the Eagles pull the trigger? Should the Eagles trade up for Marcus Mariota?

If you ask me the answer is a resounding NO.

The Eagles under Chip Kelly have managed to win 10 games in two different years using a combination of Michael Vick, Nick Foles, and Mark Sanchez at quarterback. Those aren’t exactly first ballot hands down hall of famers I just mentioned. Not taking anything away from their talent, it’s just the facts of the situation.

If Mariota slips down within a few picks of the Eagles then by all means give up a miniscule amount of value to get him. But to trade the farm when you are one step away from winning your division? It doesn’t make sense when the Eagles can simply use those picks to sure up their offensive line and find a reliable young safety on defense.

Here are my thoughts:

Oregon: I like the white on white clean look. I was worried for a minute that NIKE would go crazy with the yellow and neon green, but the white and steel combo works. I like these MUCH better than the “highlighter socks” uniforms they wore during the LaMichael James era.

Ohio State: Nothing much to see here. NIKE kept it real simple, which I like. OSU has a classic look that shouldn’t be altered with in my opinion. The only thing NIKE really did was raise the location of the shoulder stripes a tad and add black to the TV/shoulder numbers. Other than that, these look just like the normal uniforms.

Both teams have a new sleek look for the title game. Who will prevail? We shall see!

Power is meant to be tested. @WinTheDay and @OhioStAthletics will clash for the title in Nike Mach Speed uniforms. pic.twitter.com/fHTPdaxqan

— Nike Football (@usnikefootball) January 5, 2015

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A press release about SuiteHop is below.

SUITEHOP LAUNCHES OFFERING FANS AN EASY WAY TO ENJOY A LUXURY SUITE EXPERIENCE

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SuiteHop was created by Sport Shares, a private club that grants members access to all-inclusive suites, first class member services and in-suite dedicated concierges. Sport Shares’ over ten years of experience working with suites and venues provided insight of the high demand for the ability to purchase suite tickets to a single event. SuiteHop fills this niche by allowing fans to book full private suites, and in some cases, individual seats in suites across North America. Instead of using a booking agent or middle man, SuiteHop allows fans to see listings with live pricing to provide a simple way to search and purchase suite tickets.

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SuiteHop provides an easy way for fans to enjoy a luxury suite experience at sport and entertainment venues across the United States. SuiteHop’s streamlined platform allows users to directly book entire suites or individual seats in suites that would have otherwise gone unused. With hundreds of venues across the nation, SuiteHop makes it possible to obtain luxury suites that have remained difficult to access. The site has a rapidly growing list of venues and provides a large range of suites for events that can be booked with live availability and pricing from verified sellers. For more information, please visit www.SuiteHop.com.

1996 Heisman Trophy winner Danny Wuerffel announces the three finalists for 2014: Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota, Alabama receiver Amari Cooper and Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon. -ESPN

So who will win?

I think it’s beyond obvious that Marcus Mariota will take home the hardware. Mariota boasts an impressive stat line of 3783 yards 38 touchdowns and just two interceptions. He also put down another 669 yards on the ground with 14 touchdowns. The Ducks are also #2 in the country with a 12-1 record.

Melvin Gordon is your likely second place runner up. Gordon has 2336 yards and 26 touchdowns of his own, but he’s shown an affinity to fumble the ball which voters will likely hold against him. #13 Wisconsin also finished up the season with a 59-0 loss at the hands of Ohio State which does Gordon no favors (76 yards.)

Pencil him in as the top pick in 2015. This was a great decision especially with the sheer amount of passers that will be in the 2014 NFL Draft. The man who benefits the most from Mariota’s absense will be Johnny Manziel, if he declares as well.

THIS JUST IN: Oregon QB Marcus Mariota will return to school for his junior season. pic.twitter.com/JZN4D9KdhH

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 3, 2013

The only question is where does he go in the draft?

If you notice in our 2014 Mock, we don’t have Mariota mentioned. But why?

Before you cry and whine, it is because personally I believe Mariota comes back in 2015 and goes #1 overall then. It’s not because I’m throwing shade on his talent. As a matter of fact here is an excerpt from the first article I wrote on him two years ago:

Granted he’s a freshman, and not eligible until the 2015 Draft at the earliest but keep an eye on Oregon QB Marcus Mariota.

Yes he plays with insane talent in the backfield. Yes it is one game against Arkansas State. But you cannot deny the accuracy displayed in 18 of 22 passing, with 200 yards, and 3 touchdowns.

So you can imagine I was the least surprised when I saw him go #1 overall in The Big Lead’s latest mock. Here is what they had to say:

Right now, I give him the nod over Bridgewater. At 6-foot-4, 210, Mariota is the better athlete, and looks a bit like Colin Kaepernick at times.

I agree that Mariota is a better runner than Bridgewater and very accurate in that system. It’s looking like the new improved version of Colin Kaepernick may be here.

With that said, the wise guys are saying that the Ducks are the way to go this year:

In the latest set of Bovada.com odds, top-ranked Oregon is the new scratch favorite to win the 2012 BcS championship at 1/1. The Ducks were 3/1 last week after beginning the 2012 season at 10/1.