The 2001 NFL Draft starts Saturday in New York City, and four former OU football players are considered potential draft prospects.

Torrance Marshall, Josh Heupel, J.T. Thatcher and Scott Kempenich are listed as by ESPN draft expect Mel Kiper Jr. as legitimate candidates to be selected by any of the 31 NFL teams.

Marshall is expected to be the first Sooner selected in the draft after impressing NFL scouts during pre-draft workouts. NFL teams rank the 6-foot-2-inch, 245-pound, Marshall as the 41st best prospect in the nation and the third best inside linebacker available in the draft.

Marshall racked up 99 tackles (16 for loss) during his senior season at OU.

His five sacks and two interceptions helped OU to a 13-0 season and a national championship victory in the Orange Bowl, where Marshall was named the game's MVP.

"The way Torrance has followed up a great season where he got better each week and followed that up with some great times in the 40 and is an excellent athlete has caused his stock to rise," said Merv Johnson, OU director of football operations.

Regarded as a superb athlete, Marshall's speed and jumping ability makes his a prototypical body, able to handle the rigors of a NFL inside linebacker. Along with his ability to play both inside linebacker and rush end, Marshall has tremendous strength and excellent tackling abilities.

However, scouts point to Marshall's inability to remain under control at all times, resulting in over-run plays and poor decisions.

"He continued to get better and better throughout the season and he never got hurt," Johnson said.

After Heupel finished second in the Heisman voting to Florida State's Chris Weinke, NFL scouts list him as the 11th best quarterback available in the draft.

Scouts recognize Heupel's competitive nature after he led OU to a 20-5 record and a national championship as two-year starter. Heupel's football savvy and fearlessness also makes Heupel a potential NFL quarterback.

"Josh is a guy who can probably make people go back to their computers and look at his strengths and weaknesses again," Johnson said. "They have to look at his intangibles to see how highly he ranks."

But whereas the 6-1, 215-pound Heupel is regarded as an intelligent, unselfish player with unlimited potential, NFL scouts point to his lack of size and arm strength as hindrances to success on Sunday's. Heupel's chance to be a late-first or second-round pick went by the wayside when he skipped the Senior Bowl because of injury.

Heupel might be selected by a team with a similar offensive system that plays in warm weather or a dome where his lack of arm strength will be less of a factor.

Johnson compared Heupel to another player he coached: Joe Montana.

"I never thought Joe would make it in the NFL because he didn't meet the prototype either," Johnson said. "But history shows how wrong I was. He benefited a lot from Coach Walsh's system as well."

Both Thatcher and Kempenich are regarded as fringe prospects that might not be drafted until the second day of the draft or might join a team as a free agent.

Thatcher's punt return abilitites are popular with scouts, but his tendency to get beat on defense hurts his stock.

The 6-foot-4-inch, 310-pound Kempenich, whose career at OU was marred by injuries, is considered a prospect at both offensive tackle and guard. His size and body make him an NFL-caliber lineman, but a history of injuries and lack of quick feet might prompt many teams to pass on him.

Regardless of if or when these four Sooners are drafted, Johnson said it is not a sure sign of success in the NFL.

"Sometimes the computers aren't right, though," Johnson said. "Ryan Leaf had everything the computers wanted, but he hasn't made it.

"There's a lot of guess work," Johnson said.


Visit the Sooners' official Web site at www.soonersports.com.
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