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The countdown continues and our number ten prospect in college football is... Running Back Mark Ingram, Alabama (Junior):
Cons: Despite the accolades and pedigree, Ingram is not an elite athlete. He is not going to wow anyone at the NFL Scouting Combine in terms of his measurables and will not remind anyone of Adrian Peterson, who is considered by many to be the standard for NFL running backs. His frame appears to be maxed out so he probably won’t get much bigger even as he matures. Moreover, don’t expect Ingram to be much of a home run threat on the NFL level as he lacks elite, long speed. This Crimson Tide runner did wear down some as the season went on and was not nearly as effective in his final two pre-BCS Bowl contests as he was during most of his award-winning season. Ingram ran for a season-low 30 yards (1.9 yards per carry) in Alabama’s regular season finale at Auburn and was limited to just 4.0 yards per carry (28 carries, 113 yards) against Florida in the SEC Championship game. This came after he averaged 5.5 yards per carry or better in 10 of the Tide’s first 11 games of the 2009 campaign. Our View: While the Flint native was devalued by some coming out of high school because he wasn’t the biggest or fastest schoolboy runner, Coach Saban saw something in Ingram and was rewarded for it. Last year, as a true sophomore, Ingram became the first player in Crimson Tide history to win the Heisman Trophy…and he did it on the way to winning a National Championship. He may not stand out physically or grab the attention of onlookers the way Reggie Bush did as a collegian, but the man is an elite football player. Much like another #22, Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith, Ingram combines decent overall physical ability with truly top-notch instincts, desire and recognition abilities. It also has to be noted that the Alabama man is not substandard in any way as his size, speed and strength are all NFL caliber. Ingram is as dependable and consistent as they come—a true workhorse. In an NFL where that breed of running back is an endangered species, Ingram’s value—despite his lack of off-the-charts athletic talent—will be very high in next year’s draft should he forgo his final season in Tuscaloosa. It will be interesting to see how Ingram handles the bulls-eye on his chest that comes with being a returning Heisman Trophy winner—recently Jason White, Matt Leinart, Tim Tebow and Sam Bradford all failed to repeat. In addition, Ingram may have to share more carries as a junior with true-sophomore Trent Richardson, who averaged 15 carries in Alabama’s final three games (he averaged nine carries through 11 games). Players Profiled To Date: 1. Andrew Luck, Quarterback, Stanford 2. Jake Locker, Quarterback, Washington 3. A.J. Green, Wide Receiver, Georgia 4. Marcel Dareus, Defensive Lineman, Alabama 5. Patrick Peterson, Cornerback, LSU 6. Robert Quinn, Defensive End, North Carolina 7. Cameron Heyward, Defensive End, Ohio State 8. Ryan Williams, Running Back, Virginia Tech 9. Adrian Clayborn, Defensive End, Iowa 10. Mark Ingram, Running Back, Alabama 11. Anthony Castonzo, Offensive Tackle, Boston College 12. Julio Jones, Wide Receiver, Alabama 13. Allen Bailey, Defensive Lineman, Miami 14. Greg Romeus, Defensive End, Pittsburgh 15. Prince Amukamara, Cornerback, Nebraska 16. Gabe Carimi, Offensive Tackle, Wisconsin 17. Ryan Mallett, Quarterback, Arkansas 18. Marvin Austin, Defensive Tackle, North Carolina 19. Michael Floyd, Wide Receiver, Notre Dame 20. Bruce Carter, Outside Linebacker, North Carolina 21. Aaron Williams, Cornerback, Texas 22. DeAndre McDaniel, Safety, Clemson 23. Stephen Paea, Defensive Tackle, Oregon State 24. Jonathan Baldwin, Wide Receiver, Pittsburgh 25. Matt Reynolds, Offensive Tackle, BYU 26. Jurrell Casey, Defensive Tackle, USC 27. Ras-I Dowling, Cornerback, Virginia 28. Akeem Ayers, Outside Linebacker UCLA 29. Nate Solder, Offensive Tackle, Colorado 30. Rahim Moore, Free Safety, UCLA 31. Da'Quan Bowers, Defensive End, Clemson 32. Quan Sturdivant, Outside Linebacker, North Carolina * * * * * Available Now: Get your copy of the 2010 Post-Draft Recap & Rookie Fantasy Football Analysis right here. Coming Soon: The 2011 NFL Draft Bible Prospectus, featuring the stars of tomorrow! Photo Courtesy of Dennis Hubbard 
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Pros: The Heisman Trophy winner is the true definition of a workhorse. He rushed the pigskin 271 times as a sophomore, including seven games with at least 22 carries. Playing in Nick Saban’s pro-style, smash-mouth offense Ingram proved last year that he can indeed be the focal point of a championship offense. Including both the SEC Championship Game and BCS Championship Game Ingram turned in nine 100-yard games (he rushed for 99 versus Tennessee) and rushed for 140-plus yards in six of those contests. The Alabama product is built solidly and runs with a very low center of gravity with exceptional balance. It is very difficult to knock Ingram off balance, which makes it nearly impossible to knock him out of his running lane or bring him down unassisted. While he’s not a thoroughbred, Ingram has exceptional burst, which allows him to both hit the hole at the line of scrimmage and get on top of the secondary with decent quickness. What truly stands out about the Crimson Tide running back are his instincts and desire—he understands the game of football and will do whatever it takes to win. Ingram is blessed with vision, patience and toughness. Not many backs are as adept at seeing the field, anticipating holes and making use of their blockers. He is also a fearless runner—the all-SEC performer hits holes and defenders with equal authority thanks to his powerful legs. His leg drive is well above average, evidenced by his ability to push a pile and effectively fight for extra yardage. Because of his anticipation Ingram is difficult to get a big hit on, which allows him to handle a large workload while remaining durable. The Michigan native is also an incredibly underrated threat coming out of the backfield as a receiver (32 receptions for 334 yards,10.4 yards per reception in 2009), where his instincts and natural hands make him a mismatch against any linebacker. Ingram has excellent versatility; he can play in any offensive or blocking scheme and run in-between-the-tackles or attack the edges. The national champ also shows excellent blocking ability which, when combined with his pass-catching skills, give Ingram the look of a true, three-down running back. His father, also named Mark Ingram, played 10 seasons as a wide receiver in the NFL.