Tomorrow is January 8th, so you know what that means.  Its almost time for two arbitrarily chosen teams to play an exhibition game and win a trophy!  Yes, even when it is my beloved alma mater in the game, I'd still prefer a playoff (I'd get to see the Gators beat more teams, and I wouldn't have to listen to USC or Texas complain ;)  ).  But that is a discussion for another time and place. 

Everybody knows the stars on these teams: The Heisman winning QBs Tebow & Bradford; the all star receivers and big time defenders.  I'd like to throw some names out there that a casual fan may not know:

Lets start with OU:

Almost everybody has heard of the wonder boy Sam Bradford.  OU set the NCAA record for most points scored in a season, and a lot of them were tossed by Bradford.  He won this years Heisman ( even though Tebow had more 1st place votes- grrrrr- not that I'm mad or anything).  He has touch and accuracy that is rarely seen.  If he declares for this draft, some say he may be the 1st QB off the board, above even Wunderkind Matthew Stafford of Georgia, who scouts have been salivating over since Highschool.  But Bradford was not always so highly though of.  Comming out of highschool, he was considered a 3 or 4 star prospect.  Not even in the top 15 at his own position.  So what lead to his meteoric rise?  Well he certainly had a hand in it; as stated above, he is one of the most accurate QBs in the game.  But he doesn't have a rocket arm.  He can't really out run anybody and make plays with his feet (only 65 yards rushing on the year).  No, if you ask me, the real secret to his success is his outstanding O-line which very well could see every single starter playing in the NFL. In games where they have struggled, Bradford's #s suffered (see  his sub 56% completion percentage against TCU, who sacked him 4 times).  For all you will hear about the OU skill players leading up to this game, the O-line holds the keys to this game.

With that said, I present to you the most likely Sooner to be on the Dolphins board:

Trent Williams-OT:  Phil Loadholt is the big name here, but I don't think the Dolphins will look at him.  At 6'-8" and 350 lbs, he certainly looks the part of a stud RT.  But 2 things stand out to me.  Even for a man his size, he is severely un-athletic.  The only elite pass rusher he played all year, Brian Orakpo, chewed him up and spit him out.  I think this may also be part of the problem with Vernon Carey- ie if we were going to draft him, why not resign Carey?  The second issue for me is that he was arrested for suspision of DUI this past summer.  While nothing came of it, this regime will definitely think twice before investing a 1st round pick in him.

And thus I present to you Trent Williams.  At 6'-5" and 310 pounds, he isn't exactly a lightweight either.  But he is far more agile at his size.  Some scouts even have him above Loadholt even now, and he hasn't even technically declared!  Don't be surprised to see him rise up draft boards if he does come out and does well at the combine.  He has played oustandingly all year.  He has the finesse to pass block, but the strength to push people back in the run game.  It is rumored he has run as low as 4.82 in the 40 yard dash, and has a 30.5" vertical leap. Right now he is projected to be available at our 1st second round pick, but don't be surprised if that isn't the case come April.

Honorable Mention:

I still think any new receivers we see on the team will come the same way they did last year, as UDFAs.  While Juaquin Iglesias gets all the attention, he actually was not the teams leading receiver for the 1st 6 games.  That is because of:

Manuel Johnson- WR:  Before Johnson suffered an arm injury against Kansas he actually lead the Sooners in receiving with 32 catches for 553 yards and 8 TDs.  He is 6'-0", 183 lbs, and runs just below a 4.5 40 yard dash.  He only missed one game with his injury but stuggled down the stretch- making only an addition 6 catches and 132 yards with 1 TD.  He is seen as a team leader however, and give him credit for getting back on the field.  With a big performance Thursday he may get himself back into the 2nd day of the draft.  Don't be surprised if the Dolphins take a look at him if Greg Camarillo is still rehabbing this spring, as he is a very similar player.

Also- no way the Phins end up with this guy because he will be long gone by our pick if he declares, but look out for Jermaine Gresham as you will surely see him in the NFL.  He is 6'-6" and 260 lbs, but has caught 58 balls for 888 yards and 12 TDs.  He averages 15.3 yards a catch (22.1 yards per TD reception) and 68.3 yards per game.  he is the #1 TE prospect and he hasn't even declared yet.

And now for the Gators:

I think at this point, every football fan in America knows Tim Tebow- whether they want to or not.  Probably the same for Percy Harvin, and Brandon Spikes.  That doesn't leave me with much to talk about as there are not many seniors or early exits.  However, there is one potential big time impact player who may be a surprise declaration:

Jermain Cunningham-DE/OLB:  Cunningham has been one of the most consistent performers on the team this season.  And at 6'-3", 250 lbs, and a 4.65 40 time, he has the size and speed to play on Sundays.  He is not even on most peoples draft boards at this time as he is not expected to declare.  There are some message board rumblings that he may be a surprise early entry however.  Financial reasons, and the fact that super Sophomore Carlos Dunlap (at a freakish 6'-6", 290 lbs) is going to unseat him as starter, as Dunlap lead the team in sacks this year 9.  Cunningham didn't exactly have a year to sneeze at either though with 51 tackles, 10 TFL, 6 sacks, & 4 QB hurries.  He even has 4 passes defensed which is a good sign for transition to OLB.  He also has 3 forced fumbles which demonstrates his hard hitting ability.  While he would definitely benefit from another year in school ( he would almost definitely go in round 2, with a good shot at round 1), he could be a steal for the Phins if he comes out a year early and could be had in the late 2nd or 3rd round.

Honorable mention: 

Cornelius Ingram-TE:  The Dolphins are pretty set at Tight End so he is unlikely to end up with the team, but it would be a shame not to tell Ingram's story.  Oringally recruited at QB, he also played forward for the basketball team.  He is a 6'-4", 240 pound athletic freak.  He showed a glimpse of his potential in 2007 with 34 receptions for 508 yards, and 7 TDs.  He was gold in the redzone, and had an eye popping 14.94 yards per catch.  He toyed with the idea of declaring early where he may have gone as high as the 2nd round, but decided to do the right thing and return for his senior year and his degree.  During the offseason, Urban Meyer completely rewrote the playbook- almost half of all the plays were to be 2 TE sets featuring him, and fellow standout Aaron Hernandez.  But everything changed during a 1-on-1 drills during preseason workouts.  Ingram tore his ACL in what can only be described as a freak accident forcing him to miss his entire senior season.  Despite suffering a season ending injury, Ingram stayed with the team the entire season.  He has taken on a strong leadership role.  He even served as a team captain.  The only place you will see Ingram tomorrow night is on the sideline cheering on his teammates.  Even though he is unable to play, he still plans on dressing for the game.  There is a chance that if the Gators win the game, you may catch him in the sweetest formation of all- the Victory formation.  Some scouts say he may still go as high as the 3rd round if he can prove he is healthy (through his strong work ethic, he is already back to running and making cuts), but he may fall out of the draft and into college free agency.  It is not every day you see someone with his God given natural talent, and even rarer still to see the character and leadership he exhibited this season.  Mark my words, the team that takes a flyer on him will have an outstanding player both on and off the field.  It was an honor to attend the same school as CI, and I would love to have him as a Dolphin as well.