<
        >
          EXCLUSIVE CONTENT
          Get ESPN+

          Mariota is No. 1 prospect for 2015

          Marcus Mariota faces his first challenge of the season Saturday against Michigan State. Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images
          • Todd McShay, senior NFL draft analystSep 3, 2014, 12:00 PM ET
            Close
              Todd McShay is a senior NFL draft analyst for ESPN, providing in-depth scouting reports on the nation's top pro prospects. He also serves as a college football field analyst on Saturdays in the fall. Todd joined ESPN in 2006 and contributes to SportsCenter, NFL Live, College Football Live and ESPN Radio. He is a Massachusetts native and was a backup quarterback at the University of Richmond. You can follow Todd on Twitter via @McShay13.
            Follow on X

          We ranked Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota the No. 1 prospect for the 2015 NFL draft after studying tape of him and the rest of the top prospects this offseason. His upside is huge, given his mix of physical talent, mental makeup and intangibles, but there are also aspects of his game that NFL decision-makers will want to see him improve this season. He gets an early opportunity to show off his improvement Saturday against a Michigan State defense that in many ways resembles the unit from Stanford that has been his and the No. 3 Ducks' kryptonite the past couple of seasons.