As Arizona State practiced for last season's Hyundai Sun Bowl, a coach watched running back Kalen Ballage run through drills.
The coach was asked how he thought Ballage would fare leading up to the NFL Draft.
"He's going to blow up," he said.
Indeed, he did.
Ballage performed well at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., earning praise as one of the week's standouts. A month later, he held steady at the NFL Scouting Combine, showing off speed and athletic ability uncommon for a running back his size. Even so, as this week's draft sets to unfold, experts still aren't sure what to make of Ballage, weighing his physical skills against what some view as an underwhelming college career.