Notebook

Published: February 25, 2008

Midway through his senior season, wide receiver Adarius Bowman was projected to be a late first-round NFL Draft pick, no worse than a second-round selection.

Scouts.Inc. ranks Bowman as the No. 14 receiver in the draft. His stock has dropped because of dropped passes in workouts and difficulty separating from defensive backs. Scouts.Inc. said Bowman could still be the fifth or sixth wideout selected if he shows more consistency.

"Outstanding combination of height, bulk and straight-line speed,” Scouts.Inc. wrote. "A massive target with long arms. A big play waiting to happen... But he needs to show more consistent focus. Lacks explosive initial burst.”

Running back Dantrell Savage is listed as the No. 20 running back by Scouts.Inc. He is 18th on the Chicago Tribune's list. At the NFL Combine, scouts said Savage's biggest drawback is he measured just under 5-foot-9.

•First-hand advice: Former offensive coordinator Larry Fedora said he's talked with several head coaches about the challenges he faces as a first-time head coach at Southern Mississippi.

"Larry's been in this business a long time,” said OSU coach Mike Gundy. "Larry is a smart guy. The best thing in this profession is to be honest and up front with everybody in every area.

"There will be a lot of people who think you're doing the right thing and just as many think you're doing the wrong thing if you made the same decision.”

Gundy said the biggest challenge is time constraints. "When you leave the office the phone never stops ringing in the car or at home,” Gundy said. "Anytime something happens you'll be involved with it. That's just the way it is.”

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