The Chicago Bears scouting department appears as busy as ever. Not a big surprise considering how much COVID-19 has impacted the college football season. With fewer games being played, they need as much data as they can possibly get. Already one scout was spotted at the North Dakota State game against Central Arkansas. No doubt eyeing up top QB prospect Trey Lance.
That same day, another was found attending the UCF vs. Tulsa matchup. He certainly got his money’s worth as it was a wild game that saw the Knights take a 16-0 lead only to watch the Golden Hurricane pull off a huge rally to stun them 34-26 in the final minutes. No doubt the Bears have plenty of interesting film to absorb.
Credit must go to Bears fan and SM reader Lee Buckner for this find courtesy of a friend who was at the game.
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So who were the Chicago Bears looking at?
Obviously, it’s not LSU vs. Alabama, but there were some intriguing prospects the Bears no doubt wanted to get a look at. On the UCF side, two names that have gotten a lot of buzz since the end of last season are wide receiver Marlon Williams and running back Otis Anderson. Both happened to play really well in his game. Williams had nine catches for 98 yards and Anderson ran for 84 yards and a touchdown.
Williams has earned comparisons to Anquan Boldin. For what he lacks in size and speed, he makes up for in sharp route running, good hands, and strength after the catch. Anderson isn’t an overly big back but he runs hard and is a consistent threat as a receiver out of the backfield. The Bears likely got a nice look at linebacker Eric Mitchell who had 13 tackles.
And Tulsa?
The Bears probably left intrigued by senior quarterback Zach Smith. He had a decent year in 2019 with 3,200 yards and 19 TD passes with nine interceptions. This game certainly helped his cause as he threw for 273 yards and three touchdowns. Smith has the size at 6’3 and displays solid arm strength with the accuracy to hit receivers down the field.
Those will be some names to file away for next April.
