SCHMITT SHOULD HAPPEN IN ROUND ONE

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Fullbacks are roughly as likely as kickers to be taken in the first round of the NFL draft.

But how many times does a fullback come along who already exudes the work ethic, the drive, the loyalty, and the skills to be one of the first 32 (or this year, 31) players called out in late April by the Commissioner?

We recognize our bias on this one, but WVU fullback Owen Schmitt is a one-in-a-generation talent at the fullback position. He's a throwback who runs like a tailback, with a head of granite and a heart of gold (and blue).

His legend has steadily grown in three years with the Mountaineers, from the school-to-school VHS transfer tour to the busted facemasks to the knack for coming up with a big block or a big run at a big moment.

He provided both on Wednesday night at the Fiesta Bowl, with a 57-yard touchdown run in the first half that set the tone for an improbable 48-28 win over Oklahoma.

After the game, Schmitt showed raw emotion for the WVU program during an interview with FOX. It might not have been as compelling as last year's marriage proposal, but it was a special moment for all West Virginians, and for all fans of football the way it should be played.

Despite all of the science that goes into the draft process, the one thing that can't be measured is a guy's love for the game, and it's the passion for the sport that will help him to make the adjustment when he realizes that he's no longer lining up across from boys.

Schmitt has the measurables -- and he genuinely loves the game. As more scouts find out about him, we predict that he'll shoot up the draft board, and that he'll eventually make someone look like a genius from taking him.

Even though former Mountaineer coach Rich Rodriguez isn't the most popular guy in the land of PFT headquarters right now, Rodriguez was wise to find a spot for a bruising fullback in an offense that really wasn't designed to make the most effective use of him on a regular basis. If/when Schmitt lands in pro offense premised on having a versatile fullback, he'll become a on-field phenomenon, and an instant fan favorite.