Rey Maualuga, 2009 NFL Draft Prospect

Middle Linebacker 6”2’ / 260 lbs.  Senior  Strengths:  Hard hitter, sheds blocks well, good instincts  Weakness: not vocal, tight hipped, temperamental By: John L. Clarke

As you can see from the accolades below (and the numerous videos on YouTube) Rey Maualuga is a terror at the middle linebacker spot.  He reminds me of another MLB named Ray (although obviously spelled differently), as in Ray Lewis.  Although Lewis was much more of a vocal leader and all around a better athlete, Maualuga has that rare ability to dissect plays within seconds and deliver jarring hits.

Maualuga would probably have been the 1^st MLB/ILB taken in the 2008 NFL Draft, most likely supplanting Jerod Mayo, whom was selected with the 10^th pick.  Although Mayo is more of an athlete and a more vocal leader, he does not have Maualuga instincts…something that you cannot teach.  Durability is also something that separate Maualuga  from other hard hitting linebackers.  Deciding to stay for his senior year will more than likely improve his draft stock, similar to ex-teammate Keith Rivers.  Although he is a machine, learning how to deal with the media (more important than you think) and improve his overall athleticism (i.e. more interceptions) is something that is better practiced in college than in the pros.

He reminds me of another Trojan linebacker, whom also wore #58, Lofa Tatupu in a lot of ways.  Both are hard hitting, instinctive middle linebackers that offenses game plan around and running backs run away from.  Can Maualuga become another former Trojan that makes an impact? I think so.

He had small off the field incidents that I do not think will affect him in the long run.  He also seemed to take steps every season and is becoming more mature as he grows into a dominating presence in the middle.  If he can control his emotions, without losing his ferocity and get better in man to man coverage, he is going to making many trips to the Pro Bowl in Hawaii…a place he grew up for several years.

The Trojan defense is going to miss Keith Rivers and fellow first rounder Sedrick Ellis in 2008.  The question marks surrounding the team are nothing new to the Trojans, whom seem to reload every year.  Maualuga will be a target by most offensive linemen, now that Ellis is gone, but shedding blocks and reading keys is something he excels at…if nothing else, the pressure of finally being “the Guy” should make or break his draft status.

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