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College Football Insiders "Pac-10 players to watch for 2010" series continues on the offensive side of the ball with Stanford Cardinal Chris Owusu.

There is no denying Chris Owusu is a top-level physical talent. At 6’2” and a solid 200 pounds, with excellent speed and open-field running ability, there is little doubt he will find himself drafted…probably in the early rounds. The only question about this Oaks Christian High School (CA) product is to what degree he will develop his skills.

Already one of the top kick returners in the nation, Owusu has a chance to do some amazing things at the receiver position as a junior. After an unproductive true-freshman season, which got off the wrong foot when he tore his MCL in fall camp, Owusu was an effective receiver during his sophomore campaign, posting 37 catches for 682 yards. That impressive 18.4 yards per catch average and five touchdown receptions combined with his ability to quickly get off the line of scrimmage and pressure safeties downfield showed that he is becoming an effective deep threat. That being said, the California native has a long way to go before he can be considered a polished receiver. He tends to catch the ball against his body, drops too many passes, and doesn’t always track the ball in the air at an elite level. However, because of his potential there will be no shortage of people trying to teach him everything he needs to know.

All the ingredients are there for this to be a breakout season for the junior wide out: he has one of the best quarterbacks in college football in Andrew Luck throwing to him, an experienced senior receiver in Ryan Whalen on the other side of the field keeping the secondary honest, and a solid offensive line that will give him time to get downfield. What the final product will be for Owusu’s junior campaign after mixing up these ingredients is still up for debate. It is unlikely that he will morph into a fluid pass catcher like A.J. Green, but with some hard work and physical development he can become a strong pass catcher who breaks though arm tackles and does most of his damage after the catch.

Related Columns:

Pac-10 Player Watch #1 - James Rodgers, Oregon State

Pac-10 Player Watch #2 - Shane Vereen, California

Photo Courtesy of David Gonzales, Stanford Athletics