May 6, 2009

Olin Buchanan
Rivals.com College Football Senior Writer

His upside is high, as is his energy level, his sacks total and the praise he has received for his play.

Yet, somehow, Northwestern senior defensive end Corey Wootton seems to have a low profile outside of the Big Ten.

Ask a fan to put together a list of the nation's premier pass rushers and it surely would include TCU's Jerry Hughes, Arizona State's Dexter Davis, Oklahoma's Jeremy Beal, Texas' Sergio Kindle and even Troy's Brandon Lang. But omitting the 6-foot-7, 270-pound Wootton would be a mistake.

Last season, Wootton had a breakthrough season: 10 sacks, 16 tackles for loss and an interception (one of four in his career). He was the only Northwestern player to receive first-team All-Big Ten honors and was a reason the Wildcats won nine games last season.

"Corey's grown, first and foremost, from a maturity standpoint in the way he goes about preparing for each game," Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald said. "Last year, his motor in practice was relentless, and his play on Saturdays was a direct result of the way he practiced. ? He has a tremendous motor on top of his fundamentals."

Wootton had such a strong season in '08 that in December, he was contemplating entering the NFL draft. But he suffered a knee injury in the Alamo Bowl loss to Missouri, which shelved any NFL plans. Before the injury, at least one NFL scout projected Wootton possibly going late in the first round. He'd even drawn praise and instruction from former New York Giants All-Pro defensive end Michael Strahan, who lives near Wootton's parents in Rutherford, N.J.

Yet, on a national scale, he's still relatively unknown ? and he would like to keep it that way.

"I'm just trying to help my team win," he said. "We're getting more media attention because of the year we had, but you try not to think about it. If you have a low profile, you don't have to worry as much about double-teams. If [opponents] don't know me, I get more one-on-one blocks."

That's going to change. Opposing coaches know about him, and offensive linemen will.

Wootton said he'll be ready for the inevitable double-teams and "chips" from running backs. In fact, he said he's even better than a year ago, ironically, because of the injury.

He was having a strong game against Missouri; he had a sack, three tackles, an interception and generally had caused mayhem before tearing his right ACL in the fourth quarter. He had surgery in mid-January and has been working his way back since.

"Nothing comes easy, especially when you've had a knee injury," he said. "But several people I know have come back from an injury faster and stronger. You focus on things you never did before, like balance."

Improved balance should make him an even better pass rusher.

"You definitely have to be able to stay on your feet, maneuver and cut on one leg," he said. "So it's a key part. I never thought about that in the past."

Few in the past would have thought of Wootton as one of the nation's best defensive players. But any list this season should definitely include Wootton ? and up high.

The Edge

This week, it's Boston College vs. BYU. Each week, we'll match two teams to determine which has the edge in various categories. Got a matchup you want to see? Send it to olin@rivals.com and we'll work on it.

Olin Buchanan is the senior college football writer for Rivals.com. He can be reached at olin@rivals.com.