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 The college football season is over; withdrawals, depression, misery. Before you slip into an apathetic stupor for eight months, remember that the NFL Draft is just around the corner! From now until April's NFL Draft, I will be profiling some of the more interesting prospects. I can't promise that I'll get to your favorite player, but if you'd like to see a certain player profiled, shoot us an email and let us know.
Brandon Carter is not a name most fans know, but it's a face that none forget. Carter has been left out of a lot of pre-draft magazines, left off of top 10 lists and has not heard his name called much on the air waves or television as we approach draft weekend. Red Raiders fan know his name, though, and so do most defensive tackles and nose tackles that have lined up across from him.
Who would have thought that at 6'7, 344 pounds, Carter's frame is not the first thing you notice about him. He is well-known for his Mohawk, face paint and other facial accessories that he wears for each game. And as you might expect, he also has a fair amount of body art.
Carter was named a first team All-American by the Sporting News and AFCA after his junior season and was named to the 2009 Outland Trophy watch list. He was suspended indefinitely in late September, but was reinstated after missing just one game. The suspension and his image may have some worried about his character, but it's nothing he doesn't expect/isn't used to.
"Every single team has asked about it," Carter said according to the LA Times. "They always ask about it and they think I have a questionable character because of the image that they perceive from television. But I think once they get to know me they realize I'm not really a head case. It's just whenever I'm on the field I'm intense, I'm very passionate. It just kind of psyched me out and I got pumped up. That's what I think every player needs to do to play a football game -- not necessarily paint their face, but get psyched up somehow."
Carter faces the same stigma that faces a lot of Red Raiders and players from similar offenses: he has not yet shown that he can excel in a pro style offensive line. At Tech, he played out of a two point stance, but played well out of a three point stance in the East/West Shrine Game, which some reports indicate he prefers.
He did well as a pass blocker in the spread offense used by the Red Raiders, which is impressive, but some remain concerned with whether he can make the transition to an NFL offense. Carter's best asset is his most noticeable (natural) trait: his size and power. Carter has a bit of a mean streak on the field and is an aggressive player who uses his 350 pounds to withstand bull rushers.
His footwork is much more impressive and developed than a lot of people would think for a player his size as well. He can handle defensive ends who play with power and those who use their agility, quite impressive for a 350 pound guard.
Those who have seen him play against top tier competition are usually impressed. Playing in the Big XII, Carter faced Ndamukong Suh and Gerald McCoy, arguably this year's top prospects, a few times in his career. Guess how many combined sacks the two managed against him. Zero.
JoeBucsFan.com has an interesting article on Carter titled "The Man Who Stopped Both Suh and McCoy." The article points out that Carter has not let any defender get to his quarterback since his sophomore season in 2007 against Missouri defensive end Ziggy Hood, currently of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The jury is still out on Carter, but you can expect to see him picked somewhere in the middle rounds. He could be a Friday pick (Rounds 2 and 3), but most expect to see him off the board on Saturday (Rounds 4 through 7). - Danny Hobrock
Danny is a sports journalist primarily covering college football and professional baseball. His work for Xtra Point Football has garnered national attention and is critically acclaimed. Danny is the former editor of a political and current events website and the editor of our college football content.
Have a Fantasy Football or Rotisserie baseball question? Want to know who to pick up, who to activate and who the hot prospects are? Ask Dr. Roto. Let Dr. Roto guide your team to a league championship.
 
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SO it isn't like TX Tech OL are unproven in the NFL. It is just people aren't used to hearing about TX Tech OL in the NFL. So when one like Brandon Carter pops up, people act like it is a novelty. The reality is every year TX Tech had a Mike Leach recruited OL in the draft, at least 1 was drafted. The only one no longer in the NFL is EJ Whitley who was injured before his rookie year and never made it back. Brandon Carter will be the 6th Mike Leach recruited OL to be drafted and the 5th one in the NFL next season.
If Brandon played for UT and shut down Suh and McCoy, he would be a first round pick because people expect UT's OL to be good.
I think it says more about the recruiting experts than Brandon Carter to be left off the top 10 OG lists.